by Marin Thomas
“I’m out of shape.” She laughed.
“We helped Conway count pecans,” Javier said.
“And I helped rake the branches.” Miguel neglected to tell his mother that he’d raked for two minutes before handing the chore over to his brother.
“You guys go ask Porter for a drink of water,” Conway said.
“C’mon, Javi, maybe we can share Porter’s Skittles.” The boys raced to the bunkhouse.
Isi watched her sons run off. “I thought bunkhouses were like big log cabins not giant metal sheds.”
“The Cash brothers aren’t your traditional cowboys.” He grinned.
She scuffed the toe of her shoe in the dirt and he had a hunch she hadn’t dropped by the farm for a visit.
“What’s on your mind?” he asked.
“I need a favor.”
“What kind of favor?”
“Would you be willing to stay later than usual tonight to watch the boys?”
“Got a hot date?”
“As a matter of fact, I do.”
A sudden coldness gripped his chest. “Really?”
“Yes, really.” Frowning, she said, “I told you I wanted to start dating again.”
He thought she’d been venting in the back of his pickup Halloween night. “Who are you going out with?”
“Sean Mason.”
“The name doesn’t sound familiar. Does he rodeo?”
“I’m not sure. Sasha set me up with him. He’s been to the bar a few times.”
“What else do you know about this guy? You can’t be too careful these days,” he said.
“Thank you for being concerned, but I can handle myself.”
“Sure, I’ll watch the boys.” He planned to grill Sean after he dropped Isi off.
“Thanks.”
The bunkhouse door opened and Javier and Miguel stepped outside, their pockets bulging with candy. “You two be good for Conway.” Isi kissed their cheeks. “And don’t forget to brush your teeth tonight.”
“They’ll brush twice.” Conway laughed when the twins groaned.
After Isi drove away, he got the weirdest feeling in his gut. He didn’t like the idea of her dating a guy she barely knew.
Or maybe he didn’t like the idea of Isi dating—period.
* * *
THIS DATE WAS a bust.
“You wanna dance?” Sean Mason asked.
I’d rather call it a night. Conway would have pulled out the chair for her, but Sean walked off, expecting her to follow him to the dance floor.
The Desert Lounge in Yuma was a popular dance club where local bands performed for free. The Rattlers provided tonight’s entertainment and the middle-aged trio—two guitar players and a drummer—sang country music from days gone by. Sean stopped in the middle of the floor and pulled Isi into his arms, then twirled her in circles. Show off.
Once her head stopped spinning, she struggled not to squirm. Nothing felt right about Sean. He was too short. She didn’t like the spicy scent of his cologne. His hands were soft. And he rarely smiled.
He’s not Conway.
The song ended and the lead singer cleared his throat, the gravelly sound rumbling through the speakers on the stage. “We got any Conway Twitty fans out there tonight?”
Isi’s gaze flew to the exit, hoping for the impossible—Conway waltzing through the door.
“Hold your ladies close, cowboys—” the musician grinned “—because...‘It’s Only Make Believe.’”
When Sean pulled Isi closer, she braced her palm against his shoulder and locked her elbow to keep their bodies from rubbing against each other. What had possessed her to let Sasha set her up on a date?
Conway.
She’d wanted to prove her feelings for Conway were those of a girl with a teenage crush and nothing more. The only thing tonight had established was that she’d rather be with Conway.
A couple bumped into Sean’s back and Isi cringed when their lower bodies came in contact and she felt the bulge in his jeans. If the cowboy expected her to invite him into her bed, he was in for a big surprise.
After the song ended, the band took a break, but Sean made no move to leave the dance floor. A quarter found its way into the jukebox and they continued dancing. Isi made a second attempt at conversation. “Sasha said you’re a wrangler at a local ranch.
“The Flying S.” He didn’t elaborate.
Sean hadn’t strung more than two sentences together the entire night. Each time she asked him a personal question, he changed the subject. When she attempted to talk about her classes at school, he cut her off and argued that too much education made a person uppity. Who used the word uppity anymore? “Any vacation plans for Christmas?”
He shook his head.
She gave up trying to salvage the date. When the song ended, Sean headed back to their table. She’d finished her beer an hour ago, but he hadn’t offered to buy her a second. The time on her cell phone showed midnight.
“I better get home,” she said. The boys would be up early in the morning.
Without a word, Sean led the way outside to the parking lot. He hopped into his truck—again not bothering to open the passenger side door for her.
No wonder women fawned all over Conway—he was a true gentleman and knew how to treat a lady.
Sean drove Isi to the Border Town Bar & Grill where she’d left her car. As soon as he shifted the truck into park, she opened her door and flashed a quick smile. No sense lying and telling him she’d enjoyed their date. “’Night.”
She caught a glimpse of his surprised face as she shut the door. Too bad if he expected a good-night kiss—Conway was the only man she wanted to smooch with. She got into her car and the headlights from Sean’s truck moved across her back window when he left the lot.
As Isi drove home, she decided that finding a nice guy to fill the void in her and the boys’ lives was going to be more difficult than she thought.
* * *
CONWAY PEERED BETWEEN the blinds in the front window of Isi’s trailer. He’d put the boys to bed five hours ago then watched a marathon of Hawaii Five-0 shows on TV. If he heard “Book ’em, Danno” one more time, he’d throw his boot at the wall.
One in the morning. Pretty soon the bars would close down, then where would they go—back to Mason’s apartment? Isi was a good mother. She worked hard at school and her job. She deserved to be happy, but not too happy—at least until the end of the semester when his nanny services would no longer be needed.
Isi sleeping with a man bothered him.
No. Yes. Conway’s stomach growled. He went into the kitchen and surveyed the contents of the fridge. A few apples and oranges. A plastic container of leftovers. Two gallons of milk and a variety of condiments. The freezer contained a box of waffles, a bag of French fries and a tub of cheap ice cream.
He moved to the cupboards, finally settling on SpaghettiOs and eating them cold from the can. Finished with his snack he stepped outside and sat on the porch. He dug his cell phone from his pocket for the umpteenth time and checked for messages—none. He was positive that if Isi went to a motel with Mason, she’d let him know she wouldn’t be home until morning. Besides, she wasn’t the kind of woman to sleep with a guy on the first date.
How do you know? She hasn’t had sex in four years.
A pair of headlights turned into the mobile-home park. Conway bolted back inside and switched the TV on so she wouldn’t know he’d paced the floor waiting for her. He peeked out the window and watched her park beneath the carport. Why hadn’t Mason followed her to make sure she’d gotten home safe?
The trailer door opened and Isi stepped inside.
Conway noticed her neat hair and clothes. Her lips weren’t even swollen. He hadn’t realized he’d been hol
ding his breath until it whooshed from his body.
“What are you smiling at?” She set her purse on the table.
Unwilling to examine why her neat appearance made him happy, he rubbed a hand down his face, erasing his grin. “How was your date?”
Her eyes shimmered with tears.
Uh-oh. “I take it the evening didn’t go well.”
“Hardly.” She made a move to pass by him, but he snagged her arm.
She looked so dejected he couldn’t help himself—he hugged her. “I’m sorry, Isi.” He wasn’t really. “What happened?”
“Sean was a jerk.”
“You want me to beat him up for you?” he said, hoping to coax a smile out of her.
“No.” She wrapped her arms around his waist and snuggled closer. “I never got my good-night kiss.”
Don’t even think about it. But that’s all he’d done tonight—imagined Isi kissing her date. Ignoring the voice in his head warning him not to overstep his bounds, Conway tilted her chin until she made eye contact with him.
“What are you doing?” she whispered.
“Giving you a good-night kiss.” The scent of faded perfume and warm woman surrounded him, drawing his mouth closer to hers. He hesitated, waiting to see if she’d pull away. She didn’t.
He held himself back, keeping the first press of his mouth against her lips light and gentle, reacquainting himself with their flavor. Their softness. When her mouth relaxed beneath his, he eased his tongue inside and tasted her.
She swayed closer, her fingers fluttered over his ribs. A groan rumbled through his chest when her small breasts flattened against him. Could she feel his heart pound?
He was playing with fire, but he relished the burn and deepened the kiss. She didn’t shy away. Instead, she grew bolder, engaging in a game of dueling tongues that robbed him of oxygen. He had to end this insanity before he lifted her into his arms and carried her into the bedroom.
He broke off the kiss and stepped back. She stared wide-eyed, pressing her fingers against her moist lips. Neither said a word for the longest time, then she asked, “Do you kiss all your first dates like that?”
“Sorry, I got carried away.” He sensed Isi would have allowed him get a lot carried away if he’d wanted to.
Needing a moment to gather her wits, Isi walked into the kitchen and got a drink of water. Good Lord, Conway’s kiss had sucked all the oxygen out of her, leaving her light-headed. She set the empty cup in the sink and faced him. “I’m not giving up.” There had to be a man whose kiss could rock her world the way Conway’s had. “Just because Sean turned out to be a dud doesn’t mean the next guy will be one, too. I’ll ask Sasha if she—”
“After tonight I wouldn’t trust Sasha to find you a date,” he said.
“I need a friend to set me up, because I’m not the kind of girl who asks guys out.”
“I’ll find you a date,” Conway said.
“Seriously?”
He nodded.
“It would be nice to go on a date before Thanksgiving.”
“Done.”
She didn’t know whether to be miffed or appreciative that Conway was eager to push her off on another guy. “No jerks.”
“Don’t worry. The man I find for you will be harmless.”
* * *
HE WAS IN TROUBLE. Big trouble.
Conway sped down the highway toward Stagecoach, putting as many miles between him and the Desert Valley Mobile Home Park as fast as possible.
He’d been a fool to kiss Isi, but her sad eyes had begged him to erase the bad memory of her date with jerk Mason.
Don’t blame Mason. You’ve been waiting for an excuse to kiss Isi for a long time.
He clenched the wheel tighter until his knuckles ached. He’d wanted to kiss Isi since he’d begun watching the twins. It wasn’t a big deal. He’d kissed her before—
A long time ago.
Maybe, but he hadn’t forgotten how great that kiss had been.
You got it out of your system, now forget it.
Easier said than done. Their kiss tonight had proven that the attraction he’d felt for Isi the first time he’d met her hadn’t faded with time as he’d believed.
Why Isi? She’d be the perfect woman for him—if she didn’t have the twins. He felt sorry for the boys growing up without a dad. Conway knew what it felt like and he wished differently for the boys. It was because he felt protective of Isi and her sons that he wanted to find her a decent man.
You mean possessive, not protective.
The damned voice in his head playing devil’s advocate irritated the hell out of him.
Conway ran through a mental list of his rodeo buddies not sure who he could trust with Isi. They were good guys, but they were rodeo cowboys—anything could happen. There had to be a man who’d treat Isi like a lady and not push her into doing more than she was ready for.
Will.
Finally the voice in his head had said something worth listening to.
Why not his older brother? Will had quit chasing after buckle bunnies years ago. He was older than Isi, mature and harmless. He’d treat her right and show her a good time without coming on strong.
Problem solved. Now all he had to do was convince Will to go along with his plan.
* * *
SUNDAY MORNING CONWAY poked his head inside the bunkhouse door. Will sat at the table, leafing through the Home Depot ads while Buck and Porter played a game of chess. “Hey, Will, you got a second?”
“Sure.” Will scooted his chair back then stepped outside. “What’s up?”
“I have a favor to ask.” Conway motioned for his brother to follow him to the barn where they could talk in private.
“Let me guess.” Will chuckled. “You’ve got too many women chasing after you and you want me take one of them off your hands?”
Conway skidded to a stop. “How’d you know?”
Will sobered. “I was joking.”
After they entered the barn, Conway took a seat at the workbench. “You’re not dating anyone, are you?”
Will leaned against the tractor tire and crossed his arms over his chest. “No.”
“I want you to take a friend of mine on a date.”
“I’m almost thirty-four, Conway. I quit dating buckle bunnies a long time ago.”
“That’s why you’re the perfect date for this woman.”
Will narrowed his eyes. “What’s wrong with her?”
“Nothing. She doesn’t have time to meet guys, because she works, goes to school and she’s a single—”
“Oh, no.” Will shoved away from the tractor. “If you’re referring to that gal from the Border Town Bar & Grill then—”
“Isi’s a great catch.” Conway stood and paced in front of his brother.
“If she’s so perfect, you date her.”
“I can’t.”
“Why not?”
Conway leveled a meaningful glare at his brother. His siblings knew how he felt about being a father.
“Oh, yeah. You won’t date her because of the twins.”
Bingo.
“How old is Isi?” Will asked.
“Twenty-four.”
“She’s way too young for me.”
“Johnny married Shannon, and he’s nine years her senior. Besides, Isi acts older than her age. She’s responsible, independent and—”
“Forget it.”
Conway went on as if Will hadn’t spoken. “Isi had a date with a jerk the other night and now she’s down in the dumps.”
“Then you take her out and cheer her up,” Will said. “You don’t want kids but that doesn’t mean you can’t date a single mother.”
His brother’s suggestion made Conway
squirm.
“You like her, don’t you?” Will said.
“Of course I like her. She’s a great person.”
“But you’re afraid to date her, because you might start liking her too much.”
“Quit trying to psychoanalyze me. It’s better for both Isi and me if we remain friends.” Conway shoved his fingers through his hair. “I want you to make her feel special for one night.”
Will quirked an eyebrow. “How special?”
“Not that special.” Conway scowled. “C’mon, Will. You owe me.”
“Owe you, how?”
“You never help on the farm, so you can pay me for all the work I—”
“Watch yourself, buddy.” Will motioned to the bunkhouse visible through the open barn doors. “I built that without much help from you or Porter. I think we’re even.” Will walked away. “Ask Porter to take her out. He’s easy-going and gets along with anyone.”
Conway dogged his brother’s heels. “Porter’s too immature for Isi.”
“When do you plan to harvest the pecans?”
“Around Thanksgiving. Quit changing the subject.” Conway tugged his brother’s shirtsleeve. “You’re the only one I trust to not take advantage of Isi.”
“Fine.” Will jerked his arm free. “I’ll take her out next Friday.”
“She doesn’t get off work until midnight,” Conway said.
Will’s mouth dropped open.
“I know it’s late, but can’t you pick her up at the bar after her shift and go for a bite to eat?”
“Whatever. We’ll figure it out. Give Isi my cell number in case she gets off earlier.”
“Thanks, Will. I knew you’d come through for me.”
As soon as his brother went inside the bunkhouse, Conway phoned Isi and left her a message. Now that he knew she’d be in good hands, he could relax and stop worrying.
Chapter Eight
“Hey, quiet down in there and go to sleep,” Isi hollered from the kitchen Sunday night. She and the boys had spent most of the day outside, and she didn’t understand how they weren’t tired after all that fresh air.
